Pakistan lodges strong protest with Afghanistan over Torkham firing

Afghan charge d’affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey Pakistan’s strong protest over firing by Afghan forces on Pakistani security personnel at Torkham border crossing.

The Afghan diplomat was told that the firing incident was contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, read the statement. The Afghan side was urged to thoroughly investigate the incident and share the findings with Pakistani authorities.

“It was further emphasized that all steps should be taken for avoiding recurrence of such incidents in the future,” it added.

The FO said that the firing was aimed at disrupting the construction of a gate well inside Pakistani territory at the border. The gate is being constructed to facilitate the cross-border movement of people and vehicles.

The Afghan side was conveyed that the regulation of movements at Torkham is part of government’s policy to strengthen border management, it stated.

The FO further said that Afghan government’s cooperation was needed as it would enhance mutual security and help combat the threat of terrorism.